I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 78

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#78

I took a carriage to leave the manor, but that was all.

When wandering the streets, I used my own two sturdy legs and didn’t bring any guards along.

Eria was anxious about this, but I felt rather relieved.

I didn’t particularly like dragging a bunch of people around with me.

“Where would you like to go first, Miss?”

“Hmm, well.”

I pondered for a moment before answering.

“Let’s go to the port first. I want to see the sea up close.”

“Then please come this way.”

True to her confident promise to show me around Hutton, Eria knew the geography of Hutton well.

As soon as I followed Eria into the port, I could see the vast sea spread out before me along with a salty scent.

Waves pushed by the wind crashed against rocks, creating white foam that disappeared into the air.

There were countless people at the port.

I could see sailors, merchants, and travelers too.

What are those pure white birds flying in the sky called?

“What are those birds called?”

I asked Eria.

“Those are seagulls. Did you know you can feed the seagulls?”

“That’s possible?”

“Of course! Wait just a moment, I’ll go buy some bread crumbs.”

I picked up the bread crumbs Eria bought and held them high in the sky.

Then a seagull instantly snatched them away.

Wow, how fascinating. You can even feed seagulls.

“Here, try this too!”

I laughed like a child and distributed bread crumbs to the seagulls.

Next, following Eria’s recommendation, we headed to Sea Street.

According to Eria, Sea Street was a famous street that travelers visiting Hutton must visit at least once.

True to her words, if it really was a famous street, the street was bustling with people. It seemed even more crowded than the port.

“Cheap, it’s cheap!”

“Take a look before you go!”

The stalls displayed many ingredients that couldn’t commonly be seen in inland areas, such as seafood and fish.

There were also many crafted items that captured the characteristics of the sea, such as coral, pearls, and shells.

Since I don’t know when I’ll be able to go out again, should I buy Sara’s gift in advance?

It would be good to buy gifts for Baron Delrond and Kalian too.

Since I wanted gifts that captured the local character, I bought a hairpin decorated with shell ornaments for Sara’s gift, and a coral quill pen for Baron Delrond’s gift.

And for Kalian’s gift… what should I buy?

I was troubled. I thought about buying the same quill pen as the Baron’s, but it seemed too shabby a gift for someone who was supposedly an emperor.

Then what would be good to buy?

I carefully looked around the stalls.

This looks too cheap, and that doesn’t suit Kalian…

“Ah.”

What caught my eye after looking around for a while was a cufflink set with a blue gemstone.

The gemstone set in the cufflinks reminded me of Kalian’s eyes.

I picked up the cufflinks as if entranced.

“To pick that one. Miss has a good eye!”

The merchant smiled brightly and explained about the gemstone set in the cufflinks.

“That’s called blue marine, a special gemstone that only comes from here in Hutton. It’s also called the tears of the sea.”

Wasn’t that a nickname for pearls?

Anyway, it was certainly a gemstone I had never seen before.

I had never seen it even in shops that dealt with all the gemstones of the continent.

That meant it might not even be a gemstone.

“I’ll buy this.”

I was troubled about whether it was okay to give such a thing to Kalian, but I ended up buying the cufflinks.

That’s how well the gemstone on these cufflinks suited Kalian.

I hope he receives it and likes it.

“This is for you.”

I also bought a simple gift for Eria, who had worked hard to guide me around.

“Thank you!”

Eria bowed as if she was very moved.

I looked around the street a bit more with Eria and returned to the manor around 5 o’clock.

Returning to my room, I put down the things I had bought and headed to the main building.

It was to meet Viscount Valdir. I wanted to hear his evaluation of the documents I had given to Dillon Valdir before.

He should have read them all by now.

…Though he might not have read them.

I went all the way to his room, but Viscount Valdir was absent.

Where did he go?

I asked a passing servant about Viscount Valdir’s location.

“Do you happen to know where His Excellency Viscount Valdir is?”

“His Excellency Viscount Valdir is currently in a meeting with other members of the diplomatic mission in the first floor meeting room.”

…Who is meeting with whom?

Viscount Valdir and other members of the diplomatic mission?

Then what about me? Am I not part of the diplomatic mission?

“Ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped me. I rubbed my face with my hands.

I already knew well that they ignored and disliked me.

They showed it so openly that I couldn’t not know.

But the reason I hadn’t said anything and endured it all this time was because I didn’t like them either, and I didn’t want to create problems by clashing unnecessarily.

But this was different.

To hold a meeting excluding me. This was a problem I absolutely could not tolerate and let pass.

I immediately headed to the first floor meeting room. The meeting seemed to have just ended as people were coming out of the meeting room.

Starting with Viscount Valdir, all the diplomatic mission members except me.

I had heard about it from the servant, but seeing it in person was even more absurd.

I stood dumbfounded a few steps away from the meeting room and stared at them.

“So I… hey, hey.”

“Why are you…”

The people who belatedly discovered me all shut their mouths in unison and watched my reaction.

A heavy silence flowed through the hallway.

It was Viscount Valdir, who came out last, who broke the silence.

“What’s wrong?”

At the Viscount’s question, the nobleman closest to him pointed at me with his eyes.

Only then realizing I had come, the Viscount looked at me.

Unlike the other nobles who were flustered to see me, the Viscount was calm.

“Oh, Princess Tebesa. Was your sightseeing in the streets enjoyable?”

Calm enough to casually say such things.

“The sightseeing was fun.”

I forced a smile and approached the Viscount to speak.

“I heard you held a strategy meeting.”

“We did.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

Viscount Valdir looked at me with a face that showed he didn’t understand.

“I don’t know why you’re asking me that. You were the one who said you wanted to go out and see the streets first, Princess.”

Well, that’s true.

“I said that because I didn’t hear there was a meeting today.”

At my answer, Viscount Valdir looked at a nobleman standing a little distance away. It was the nobleman who had told me the schedule.

“Count Salmon. Didn’t you tell Princess Tebesa that there was a meeting this afternoon?”

Salmon glanced at me and answered.

“No, I did tell her.”

What did he just say…

“That’s a lie!”

I gritted my teeth and shouted.

“I never heard anything from Count Salmon about a meeting!”

“That’s what she says, Count Salmon.”

Viscount Valdir asked Salmon again.

Salmon shrugged and answered.

“The one lying is not me, but Princess Tebesa.”

How can he lie so brazenly without even blinking an eye?

It was absurd and outrageous. I glared at Salmon and asked.

“You clearly told me that I had no special schedule until dinner tonight and was free to do whatever I wanted. You didn’t say a single word about a meeting.”

“I did tell her.”

The one who answered was another nobleman standing next to Salmon.

“I saw it. When we had just arrived at the manor, Count Salmon definitely told Princess Tebesa about the changed schedule.”

“I saw it too.”

In an instant, two false witnesses appeared, putting me in a difficult position.

If this continues, I’ll inevitably be branded as a liar.

I need to make excuses quickly before that happens, but I don’t know what to say.

My mind went blank like a white sheet of paper, and no thoughts came to me.

I stared blankly at Salmon, who was looking at me with a triumphant face, and the whispering nobles.

“Hmm.”

Viscount Valdir made a nasal sound and looked at me.

“That’s what they say, so what are Princess Tebesa’s thoughts?”

What are my thoughts?

Well, I…

“I… didn’t lie.”

I barely managed to part my reluctant lips and spoke.

I tried to answer calmly, but I couldn’t stop my voice from trembling.

“I really didn’t hear it.”

Even if I say this, they won’t believe me anyway.

“You didn’t not hear it, you forgot it.”

As expected, Viscount Valdir didn’t believe my words.

…No, maybe he never intended to believe me from the start.

Come to think of it, it was strange that Viscount Valdir readily allowed me to go out.

Providing an escort knight and carriage was even stranger.

‘It was all planned.’

From the beginning, they intended to hold the meeting without me.

If they did it openly, I might tell the Emperor, so they devised this plan.

What petty and cowardly people.

I was frustrated, absurd, and outraged, but there was nothing I could do right now.

Whatever I said, they would dismiss it as a lie.

In times like this, it was better to remain silent.

I knew that well, but I was too angry.

I wanted to grab Salmon right now and shout at him for making me out to be a liar.

‘Stay calm, Leilah.’

I can’t fall for their scheme.

Getting angry won’t do any good.

“You finally seem to understand your position.”

While I was trying to swallow my resentful feelings, Viscount Valdir patted my shoulder and said.

“Don’t be too forward and just stay quiet until you return to the capital.”

“…”

“Then who knows? I might speak well of you to Duke Giltian. Haha.”

He laughed loudly enough to show his neat teeth and passed by me.

Salmon and the other nobles also passed by me with laughter.

Among them, some deliberately bumped into my shoulder as they passed.

“…”

Left alone, I clenched my fists so tightly that blue veins stood out.

To hold back the tears that threatened to burst from my surging emotions, I had to bite my lips hard enough to draw blood.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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